(Host) Legislation that would designate Hydro Quebec as a source of renewable energy could soon be on its way to the governor for his signature.
Although the bill has generated a fair amount of debate, it’s been overwhelmingly approved by both the House and Senate.
VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports.
(Kinzel) Although the legislation never mentions Hydro Quebec by name, the bill is specifically aimed at future contracts between Vermont and the Canadian power company.
Under current law, no power contract can be designated as being renewable if it generates more than 200 megawatts of power- one of Hydro Quebec’s dams produces 5000 megawatts.
Speaking on VPR’s Vermont Edition, House Natural Resources chairman Tony Klein said Vermont consumers will benefit directly from the legislation. That’s because Hydro Quebec will be able to market its power to other New England states as being renewable and Vermont utilities will benefit financially from this development:
(Klein) "There is no question about the fact that with this legislation that we will get enhanced value in the contract that they will and are negotiating for 26 years at a stable good price for reliable carbon neutral power."
(Kinzel) Jake Brown is a spokesperson for the Vermont Natural Resources Council. He’s concerned that passage of the bill could influence other New England states to take similar action:
(Brown) "So Vermont would be in many ways a domino falling and in our view a standards being dropped which is very unlike Vermont, Vermont is a place that has high standards and is proud of its high standards and what we’re doing here is really just slicing off a little piece of our reputation and giving it to Hydro Quebec."
(Kinzel) Brown is also worried that the legislation will undermine the state’s small scale renewable energy market:
(Brown) "If we designate HQ as renewable we enable that we put a stamp of approval on that we endorse that and at the same time over time we undercut our own renewable energy industry in Vermont."
(Kinzel) Klein disagrees – he says Vermont law calls for a percentage of power to come from in state sources and he says all sources of power have some negative impacts:
(Klein) "I think that the negative of a source of generation like what is at Vermont Yankee is far worse than what we’re facing up in Hydro Quebec and if I’m given the choice of Vermont Yankee and Hydro Quebec I’m going to take Hydro Quebec 100% of the time."
(Kinzel) Klein wants Vermont Yankee to close down in 2012 and he says a new contract with Hydro Quebec will be a good way to replace that power.
For VPR News I’m Bob Kinzel in Montpelier.